For Francine Wint, the Executive MBA (EMBA) program at Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business was not only a professional milestone but also a journey of personal transformation. In January, she spent two weeks in South Africa alongside 16 classmates, Professor Nate Bennett, and program director Chris Hilario. The excursion challenged her preconceptions and sparked deep introspection about leadership, forgiveness, and the responsibility of businesses to their communities.
"The trip wasn’t just about visiting South Africa," Wint said. "It was about understanding the country’s history, working with entrepreneurs, and seeing the economic and social landscape firsthand."
The group traveled to locations including Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, and Cape Town, and engaged with business leaders who prioritize purpose over profit.
"We met an author who is also CEO of an electricity company as well as entrepreneurs who focus on empowering women and employing people from marginalized communities," Wint said.
Wint was especially affected by the story of Amy Biehl, a Fulbright Scholar and anti-Apartheid activist who studied at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town. On August 25, 1993, a mob pulled Biehl out of her car, and stabbed and stoned her to death. Her murderers were pardoned in 1998 by South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In honor of their daughter, Biehl’s parents founded the Amy Foundation to prevent violence through engagement with disadvantaged communities in and around Cape Town.
Wint poses with classmates George Mtonga (left) and Adler Cossovan (right). As part of the trip, the group toured Soweto, a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa.
"In South Africa, they have forgiven and moved forward," said Wint, who hails from Jamaica. "My perspective is a little different. There is no racism in Jamaica since we are a Black country. We didn't experience what happened in the U.S. I’ve developed a different view of life through other people's lenses.”
Prior to the trip, Wint and her peers led a multi-faceted fundraising campaign to benefit the Amy Foundation and Project Playground, a nonprofit offering a safe space for the children of South Africa’s townships to improve their lives through play. The students amassed approximately $16,000 in donations, which they presented to the organizations in person.
Wint has exercised endurance and resilience throughout her own life. She moved from her hometown of Clarendon, Jamaica, to Baltimore to attend Morgan State University, where she earned a B.S. in marketing in 2004. In 2017, one year into her tenure at Amazon, she relocated to Atlanta. A few years ago, she began thinking about earning an EMBA.
"I was impressed with the program from the moment I attended the open house,” Wint said. “Through a high level of customer service and a tailored experience for executives, the faculty and staff demonstrate how much they care about the students.”
In addition to her EMBA studies, Wint balanced a demanding role as a senior manager, program management at Amazon as well as single parenthood. Her sons are now 15 and six years old.
"I went back to school to expand my network,” Wint said. “My cohort comprised fellow executives, and that part of the program was very rewarding.”